


And look at all the bugs we've found

by AnimusStuff (DarthAnimus)



Category: BIRDMEN - 田辺イエロウ | Tanabe Yellow
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 13:48:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12683160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarthAnimus/pseuds/AnimusStuff
Summary: Eishi doesn't know how to friend, so he goes for the easy solution: bugs.





	And look at all the bugs we've found

**Author's Note:**

> Birdmen Week 2017: Day 5: Nature

Eishi didn't really know what to do with a crying Kamoda. They'd only been friends for a while and this was the first time Eishi had seen him cry since that time he'd locked him and his old friends onto that construction site. Their relationship was different now and Eishi just telling Kamoda: "Stop crying," didn't seem to have any effect.

In a way, Eishi supposed Kamoda's bawling fit was his responsibility. You were expected to put in emotional labor when you had close relationships with people, and Kamoda was the closest friend he had. Kamoda was his only friend, actually, and he didn't have anything else pressing going on at the time.

Eishi decided that he might as well look after Kamoda's emotional well-being. Telling the kid to take up karate might prevent this happening in the future, but it wouldn't change the fact that Kamoda was scared and hurt right now.

"Hey," Eishi turned to Kamoda, who was standing close, clinging to the back of Eishi's shirt. They were banged up and their clothes were a mess. "I could show you what I do when I'm upset."

Kamoda was a follower by nature, so he didn't question Eishi in any way before they were already in the small woods near the school and Eishi had turned over a large rock. That was when the boy shrieked.

"It's just some bugs," Eishi said dismissively, crouching down to look at the selection of ants and earthworms. "They like moist soil and shade, so you can find them under rocks."

"It looks like the earth is _moving_!" Kamoda said, voice still a touch more shrill than normal. " _Gross_."

Eishi considered his companion for a bit. He himself had no trouble digging through the dirt when he was feeling angry and just needed to take it out on something. But Kamoda didn't really get angry, did he? He was clearly interested in the woods somewhat, since he'd been looking at everything intently, even the bugs. Still, he didn't come any closer to the mother lode Eishi had unearthed.

"You can look for something else," Eishi offered, dusting his hands off a bit before gesturing to the plant life surrounding them. "There's a bunch of stuff to be found, from cool seeds to other animals."

"Oh." Kamoda's eyes practically gleamed now. "So, like a treasure hunt?"

"Exactly like a treasure hunt."

Kamoda dove into the bushes with such gusto that it had Eishi surprised. Huh, he mused as he looked down at the bugs and deemed them undeserving of any wrath he might be able to muster up, this emotional labor thing seemed pretty easy.

Carefully, Eishi lowered the rock back over the bug colony and looked around. He wondered if he could find some seeds that looked enough like bug eggs to fill up the plastic bag left over from his lunch. You never knew if some kids were too thick to learn their lesson and he'd like to be ready to retaliate the instant someone messed with him or Kamoda again.

Eishi's revenge fantasies got promptly derailed when Kamoda leaped back out of the bushes, face flushed with excitement.

"Ei-chan!" Kamoda hiss-shouted, barely containing his glee. "A cat!"

Indeed, there was a cat a few meters away from where they started, Eishi discovered when he followed Kamoda to his find. It was a cream-colored, large cat laying around on a rock in a sunbeam.

Kamoda briefly shoved his hand in front of the animal's face before scratching it behind the ears. Eishi watched as a smile filled with affection bloomed on Kamoda's highly expressive face.

"Cats like warm spots for naps," Eishi blurted out, and gained a bit of Kamoda's attention back from the cat. "You usually see them on top of high walls or on branches taking naps." Eishi shuffled closer, offering his hand for the animal to sniff. "Housecats like laying on electric appliances with reasonably broad, flat surfaces." The cat snuffled at Eishi's hand for a moment before ceasing, letting Eishi pet its neck. It was soft and warm from lying in the sunlight for a while.

"Wow, Ei-chan, you're so smart," Kamoda said and it wasn't with that empty praise adults handed out like candy, meant to placate children and keep them acting according to expectations. Kamoda seemed to have honestly gotten the impression that Eishi was someone worthy of respect and admiration.

If Eishi asked now, Kamoda would probably come dig for the bugs this time, but Eishi really didn't feel like dragging around bugs if he wasn't going to use them.

"I was thinking of collecting some seeds," Eishi said, his hand leaving the cat. "Want to help?"

Kamoda smiled brightly. "Sure!"

Eishi felt kind of like the cat must have in the sunbeam, when Kamoda looked at him like that. He supposed it was only natural to be drawn to warm, cosy things.


End file.
